Commitment

Northern Flame

Bright, breezy and cold this morning, the first dusting of snow at the top of the all-weather where most of the horses worked, it has dried out (a bit).  Another trip to Lucinda's woodchip, this time the turn of Forcefield, Northern Flame and Seeking Power all of whom have important engagements in the next 10 days.  Off to a meeting at Perth Racecourse and staggered by the flooding, the River Earn has burst it's banks in a big way.  Useful meeting at Perth regarding our media deal for the next five years, I hope all the courses are about to see similar increases in their income and see fit to pass a fair percentage on to the owners via prize money, we could be looking at quite a different situation in 12 months time, it certainly needs to change.  No luck for Lucy down at Catterick, I hear her car arriving home now exactly 24 hours after she left, her commitment is admirable - in the second half of last week she did round trips to Wetherby, Musselburgh, Newcastle and Carlisle, yesterday she was up at 6am, fed 34 horses, went to Lucinda's to give the Buffalo his final prep for his first run on Monday, came back here to ride Academy, prepared all the evening feeds, did the bandaging & left here at 6.30pm to drive 3 hours to spend the night at her grandparent's in Northumberland, up at 5am to be at Alan Swinbank's to ride 3 lots prior to going to Catterick for 3 rides then driving 4 hours home... an average week, no more than what every successful National Hunt jockey does but I feel exhausted just writing about it, they really are a breed apart..